


A Difference

by soul_of_blaze



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Drabbles, Dream Bubbles, F/M, M/M, Stabdads
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-07-30
Updated: 2013-06-18
Packaged: 2017-11-11 02:17:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/473353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soul_of_blaze/pseuds/soul_of_blaze
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Various drabbles done in the past and perhaps the future, none really related to eachother other than sharing the same base universe of Homestuck. Parings and characters will be added as they appear.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for one of my Tumblr friends who really loves Sollux/Aradia. Set in the Stabdads universe, but everyone is human. Hints that the other kids are children of the Felt.

You stare across the table at her for a few moments and then avert your gaze.

Aria never really made you uncomfortable. She had been your best friend since you could remember; taking care of you since Deuce never taught you to do so for yourself. He is a great dad, but… Aria certainly helped you build a better future for yourself.

And then, last summer, you decided to kiss her. On accident, it definitely happened on accident. You surely didn’t mean to grab her shoulders and do that. Aria and you had been best friends for forever and eternity or some stupid shit phrase like that. Neither Deuce nor Droog were surprised by it. And Slick literally grumbled, finally.

The only thing Droog said to you was not to get his daughter killed. Then he chuckled and left it at that. After all, she can take care of herself. Your dad wanted to throw a party for it but that was kind of ridiculous and Slick pushed it away since they had more important things to do. Like plan an attack against The Felt.

A shudder runs down your spine as you turn to look at her again. Her face hasn’t moved, lips placed in a firm straight line. You lock onto her nose. And you refuse to look at her eyes. That’ll just kill you.

What is worse than this is that Karl didn’t even mention a thing about it. One day, he and Aria are at school and the next, they aren’t. Droog called Deuce and you heard a tail end of the conversation. But it didn’t explain their absence until today. As far as you’re concerned, Slick and Droog attempted an unsuccessful heist and took Karl and Aria for the misfortune.

There were some tolls on them.

Karl has a bandage on his neck and his arm is in a sling. Other than that, he’s just as grumpy as always and John is taking damage control for you. Because you aren’t emotionally stable. In fact, you probably shouldn’t be a ten-mile radius of anymore. Especially the Felt.

More than that, _especially_ Victoria Serket.

You have to face the facts. You love Aria Megido, but you aren’t sure what you’re going to do to other people right now. You can feel the shake in your shoulders, anger mixing with tears and then you feel a cool hand on one of your fists.

“Soll.”

Her voice is chilly too. Like a part of her disappeared during her week absence from you. She doesn’t sound like the Aria you knew. It’s like a ghost overtook her body and voice, making it eerie and very, very cold.

You look up and stare at her, taking it in. From a glance, it doesn’t look like she took as much damage as Karl did. She certainly has fewer injuries.

In fact, there is only one. One lone thing that stands out from what she usually looks like. Two eyes peer at you, one glows the brilliant maroon you seemingly love. The other is dull. It doesn’t move or do anything, other than stare at you dully with the color drained.

The rage and tears come back full force and before you can stop yourself, you’re up and across the lunch hall. Victoria Serket is seated amongst her friends, laughing and joking about the black eye she sports. You don’t have much control as you jump on her and you’re wrapping long fingers around her neck.

That starts the commotion and before you know it, Serket’s hands are tugging at your fingers and someone’s arms are wrapped around your waist. They’re tugging too, strong enough to get you off the girl.

Fefi Peixes has pulled you back and she’s shaking slightly. The rest of the table is up and panicking. You turn your head and see Aria sitting still. No expression, but her head is turned toward you.

You start sobbing hysterically.

\--

There is nothing. Anymore, at least. Karl was with you, but you can’t hear him anymore. It’s so dark and it... isn’t scary but you don’t understand why it’s so dark. Or where Karl went.

Or why you can barely breathe through your mouth or nose. You think it’s blood, clogging up your noise and coughing out your mouth. Oh, that would also be a majority of your teeth choking you up.

Fuck. The last thing you remember seeing was Eric slamming his shoulder and elbow into various parts of your body, including your face various times. Karl wasn’t there for that part.

You think about drifting off and maybe dying because that sounds nice. It sounds a lot better than this hell you’re going through right now. Not being able to breathe or anything.

But then there’s voice, ones you distinctly remember from hearing them your whole life. You name them off in your head as they talk and you feel hands touching you, arms holding you. They’re cold. You wonder if it’s her.

“Who the fuck did this?” Slick.

“I don’t fucking know! I found him like this!” Karl.

“Damn, kid. You shoulda taken ‘im to a hospital. Not called us.” Droog.

“Oh! Is he okay?” Dad, albeit a bit saddened.

There’s some rustling and you hear a smack. Then there’s a hush and you struggle a bit but the arms tighten on you.

“Don’t touch him.” Aria.

Aria is kneeling next to you, you think, and gripping you tight to her. She sounds so angry and hurt. Not the eerie voice that echoed her words since she had come back.

“No, of course. But we need to take ‘im to the hospital.” Droog.

Aria doesn’t respond but you feel her pull away and then the ground spins away from you. Oh. Probably Boxcars who is carrying you. You arms are dangling and you feel a chilly, but not cold hand grip yours.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another one that was written for a Tumblr friend, a while back before the Sollux/Aradia was written. They appeared to like Eridan/Sollux as much as I did so I was glad to write it.

It’s the screech of pain. It’s the sobs of her. But it isn’t the way he looks at you across the lab. That’s not what pisses you off. The fact that he can’t even fucking leave her alone is what really does it. Why can’t he begin to understand that she just doesn’t want him around her anymore? She even told him herself to leave her alone! He can’t even grasp the reality of what’s going on. Eridan fucking Ampora. So consumed with himself that he can’t see the obvious ideals of a world falling apart. Can’t see that the highest blooded troll just wants someone to talk to her. Can’t even see that he isn’t the one that should be doing it.

It’s you. Feferi had put all of her trust into you so she can glub about gog knows what. You don’t mind. At least somebody here will talk to you and make you feel like less of an insufferable prick. Because that’s what you are and everyone knows it, at least everyone in this room (excluding Feferi). Well… there are only two other people in the room, Karkat and Kanaya. And they would concur with you.

“I will be leaving then,” Kanaya announced to the whole room. Feferi gives her a bright smile and you grunt in recognition of her words. Maybe you’ll just take a nap because you’re exhausted and who gives a fuck what Karkat has to say in that matter…  You begin to drift off, Feferi making a strange purring noise and the horns honking as you shift. It doesn’t last very long when Kanaya lets out a startled yell as she makes a loud bang from falling on the ground. You ground out a groan and turn to see what is tripping her up.

Oh.

_Oh._

Gog, you fucking hate him. And it’s becoming less and less platonic every moment you have to spend with him. That just makes you _hate_ him more. You want to smash his face in and watch that tyrannical purple blood pour out while you kiss him, all teeth and bite.

“Oh god, it’th him,” you snap out as he comes striding over toward you and Feferi. He has that stupid way he walks, practically a waltz like he owns the place. When he stops in front of the pile, a look of disgust crossing his features as he nudges a horn aside with his foot, you groan.  “FF can you tell him to go away, I don’t even have the energy for _thith_ ,” you cross your arms while he glares down at you.

 “Hey finless, this doesn’t concern those w-with mustard blood slippin’ through their v-veins,” he sneers as his eyes flick briefly toward Feferi. You aren’t surprised. He pities her more than anything. That is just one more thing to add to the list of things you hate about him. “It’s a matter for royalty only, so keep your mouth closed or I’ll _slit_ you open over my next meal,” his threats are making you furious and it’s almost too tempting to lunge up at him. You are going to make a quip to egg him on but Feferi lightly touches your thigh.

“Eridan, please! I don’t want to see anymore dueling!” Feferi huffs as she jumps out of the pile. Eridan takes a step back, letting her stand up fully. She sneers at him, imitating his earlier sneers that were directed at you. You groan, not wanting her to try and take over this. “Don’t try to provoke him. It’s not like I don’t know what you’re trying to do. You keep trying to spark a rivalry with him to get me to auspiticize between you two, and pull us out of our quadrant!” You freeze up at that, eyes scanning both of them from behind tinted glasses. Eridan is still in his same righteous, almighty Prince position. Feferi was already in a defensive position, her fingers curled into fists.  “It is the oldest trick in the book! It didn’t work then and it won’t work now!”

 “That’s an astonishin’ accusation how-w could you say that,” Eridan growls at her as you stand up slowly. You watch him as you grip a hand on her mid-arm, lowering her arm. But he’s still rambling on at her, like some fucking retard. “First, as if this scum is ev-ven w-worthy of a riv-varly w-with me and second as if I’m not totally DONE w-with you like I hav-ve told you REPEATEDLY,” you flick up an eyebrow at that. Oh. Oh fuck no. God dammit, there is no more platonic hate left in your mind. You fucking hate Eridan Ampora. And nothing is changing that. But he keeps on glubbing.  “All I w-want to do is hav-ve a w-word w-with you!”

“Ok, Eridan, we can talk, but only if you’re planning on being civil,” Feferi left the defensive position completely, enough that you drop your hand off of her arm. She’s crossed her arms over chest and he’s done the same. You think these two are ridiculous and you might just take a nap now. Eridan will be there to _hatefuck_ later.

 “That’s w-what you nev-ver got, fef,” Eridan growled and then he went off ranting to her about whatever the hell it is he wants to. You listen slightly, thinking about slipping back down into the horn pile. But.. He’s crazy, you decide when you realize just what he’s trying to do. Take Feferi with him and… join Jack? Oh. God, he was crazy.

 “Thith ith the motht hiliariouth thing I’ve ever heard,” You stand up straighter to practically laugh straight into his face. Feferi reaches out to grab your arm to stop, but you lunge forward. He doesn’t lean back or take a step back. Just sneered at you. “He made one of hith thitty fake wandth glow and now he thinkth he’th a fairy god troll or thomsething, ehehehehehe.”

 “W-was that slander I just heard I can’t ev-ven tell, I tend to block out noise from filth w-whose blood is practically the complimentary color a mine,” Eridan growled when you took another step. You can feel the psionic energy fizzling off of your hands. He huffs in your face and turns to address Feferi for a few more minutes. You groan but after hearing his next few words… You snort.

 “Ahahahaha, ok, that’th it, he’th _lotht_ it!” You keel over with the fake laughter to mock him. Feferi is glubbing unhappily over you, but that doesn’t matter. What matters are the offensive growls you are rousing out of him. It’s so perfect, and god damn. He’s off again, practically screaming at Feferi. Why won’t he shut up and leave her alone. But listening to his words, you can’t… You take one last stretch, the energy fizzling off and sparking into the air.“The’th right, man, can’t believe thith, I was really looking forward to a nap too. I thould have killed you on lobaf when I had the chance!”

Oh, the look on his face. _The look on his face_. Why can’t you slam him into the ground _now_? Feferi is making angry noises at both of you, but that’s lost as background fuss. “Oh well, gueth it’th only fitting I’d take you down in Round Two. You ready, _Prince_?”

“Bring it, mage,” he’s throwing off his cape and equipping that stupid, shitty, white wand. You drop off your glasses so the fizzling, psionic energy can threaten him. He’s pulling the wand back to shoot it at you, expecting you to use your psionics back at him. Counter his attack.

You don’t.

You slip beneath the beam of white science, something he isn’t expecting, and slam into his abdomen. The wand flies out of his hand and skitters across the floor. You slam him into the floor even after he’s been slammed into the edge of the room.

“God, I fucking hate you,” you spit at him as you bring his scarf’s end toward you, tightening it on his neck. He’s choking and it’s oh-so-perfect. You dig your knees into his sides, watch as he struggles to find air with all his gills muffled by clothing. “You hate me jutht ath much, don’t you, EN?”

“Gef-guh-uk,” Eridan struggles, hand digging into your back and trying to tug you back. You let him after a few moments, watching him with disgust as he tugs the scarf away to gasp for breath. He really looks like a land stuck fish like that, gasping for air. You sneer at him before slamming his head harder into the ground harder and then leaning down to slam your mouth on his. He tries to push you away but it a meek effort. He hates you just as much as you hate him.

Eridan practically throws you into a bottle of faygo, which you wince as it stabs into your back. He is just as aggressive and you love it, even though…

You smash your fist into the side of his face. You lick the purple, royal blood off your hand. He’s scowling at you as you smirk through the dark purple. He digs his nails into an exposed part of your skin and you watch as the yellow blood leak through his fingers.

_Fuck._


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was more or less something I wanted to try after the EriSol I wrote because I like taking different views/spins on scenes. And then I decided to add a bit more because I think this is a cute pair.

“I’ve gotta admit,” Vriska shouted as she slid along the wooden bridge. The mutant monsters knocked out of her way, she paused at the edge of the bridge while Tavros flew up just behind her. She flipped her hair as she whipped around to face him, “As much of a wimp as you are, Tav, we make a pretty good team!” She giggled and crossed her arms. “The Thief and the Page! Can you imagine? It doesn’t sound right at first, but when you think about it-”

“Uh, Vriska,”

“-it sounds way better than any other combinations of the titles! Because, I mean the Thief and the Sylph? Pleeeease. Or the Thief and the Seer? Hell no, the Thief and the Page is the best duo I’ve ever even thought of! We are going to have all the irons in the fire, Tav, all of the-”

“Uh, VRISKA!”

“Whaaaaat?” Vriska stopped in the middle of excitement to glare at Tavros. He always, always did this to her. One thing going right for her and he had to go and ruin it! But the look crossing his face was interesting. _Fear_. She’d seen if before running across and along the crevices of his face. Heck, she’d been the one to cause it more than a couple of times. She supposed this was different. It was fear mixed with surprise, which she had never seen on anyone’s face. Vriska caused fear all the time, she couldn’t imagine anything or one was going to scare or surprise anyone! Almost no surprise came with her fear. She was just that amazing. Trolls barely had time to register anything but pure fear. Yet, Tavros was lifting one shaky finger behind her, just to the left. For her, the temptation to see what was such a fright to her current partner in mischief was just too much. She turned around.

 And straight into facing the one person she absolutely did not need to see. Vriska let her arms fall to her sides, one of them coming back up. “What the fuck do you want? Hm, Maid?” Tavros tried to interrupt, but it was moot point of even trying. “Tav, stay out of this! Seriously, though, Aradia, I am honestly surprised you would even show yourself to me,” she was looking for any sound from the other girl. Anything at all. Aradia, or the Aradiabot she guessed, did no such thing. There was an ever so slight pause where nothing happened. White noise was screeching through every particle of her being. “Jegus, just say somethin-”

Aradia’s hands were curled into fists, but she cast one leg up to slam into Vriska’s stomach. The blueblood was enough off guard that the kick pushed her backward, blood already leaking its way through her mouth. The next hit was swifter, the robot girl flying through the air to knock the other girl’s head back with another kick. Aradia let out a strange, robotic scream. Her red eyes gleaming, all Tavros could think was of those. It was frightening. It should not have been as horrifying as it was when she wretched Vriska up by the collar of her jacket and sent a punch cracking into her jaw. So much blood. It was like all her blood was painting the ground blue. He couldn’t differentiate the ground much more than that. And.. like that.. she was dropped to the ground. Vriska, strong blue-blooded Vriska, was holding herself up with one arm and wincing into the flood of blue underneath her. Tavros had the hope it was over, that this was all Aradia had wanted to do.

It wasn’t and he let out a small cry at the next few moments that passed.

Aradia swung her hand up and Vriska’s struggling body followed it, like it was being lifted purely by its chest. Her arms hung back and her legs were slightly limp. Just ever that much that he could tell Aradia was not, ever, going to treat her gently. And then she was slamming Vriska repeatedly into bits of the landscaping: one of the building, the bridge, and he lost track soon after. Aradia was making that horrifying robotic screech again. Tavros could only stare. God, he was so useless. Vriska was right in front of him, she was right there if he could just stop being such a wimp he could-

The sneer, the angry smile on Aradia’s face vanished. Right into a pleased pair of blue lips. She simply.. abandoned the beaten body. And disappeared, back to whatever time she had come from. Vriska lay there, face not contorted into any expression. Her blood splattered all over: the ground, her face, and her clothes, just everywhere.

Tavros was almost instant in landing the rocket when Aradia had dematerialized into thin air. He was currently dragging himself over to Vriska. When he got there, he took it all in. How beaten she was, the blood soiling her clothes and his now. It was clumping in her hair, drying on her face and he couldn’t stand it.

>THIS IS IT RUNT

He froze, listening again for the hollow voice that always seemed to find its way into his head in the rudest times. This wasn’t Rufio, no. He wasn’t even sure who it was but he wanted them out of his head! They were not any use whatsoever and he needed clear thoughts if he was going to save her. Get out, get out, get ou-

>HERE’S YER CHANCE

Don’t listen, don’t listen, just focus on saving her. That’s it, Tavros got into his mind as he leaned down. Rufio always knows what to say and as long as he saves the girl and does not listen to the other voice in his head everything will be alright. Ignore, ignore, ignore, Tavros. Just breathe in all the air you can and save her because you probably will not get anywhere without her. She’ll be angry with you otherwise. Haunt you from beyond the grave or something like that. You aren’t even sure she can do that but it doesn’t matter.

>KISS HER  
>KISS THAT GIRL YOU WIMP

Tavros doesn’t pause in sucking in two lungfuls of air. But he does muse that the two voices are agreeing on something for once. He can focus on that. Either voice is telling him to save Vriska, with a kiss or whatever the way of bringing someone to breathing is. Choke. Choke, oh god why is he choking whywhywhyohgodohgod. It’s her hand, wicked fingers curling around his neck. She’s alive. Vriska is still alive how is that even possible.

>AW FER CRYING OUT LOUD  
>YOU MAKE ME SAD RUNT  
>JUST SHAKING MY HEAD HERE

But Tavros had stopped listening to Rufio or the other voice. Because she had just stopped him from saving here from death and now her blood is all over his neck. Shit, he thinks, shit what am I supposed to do now. Tavros doesn’t understand how to handle the situation, he has never heard much other than that a kiss will-

>THAT’S IT

OHGOD OHGOD WHY IS HIS HAND MOVING ON ITS OWN. Tavros’s eyes widen as one finger begin to write words in her blood. Oh no, no, no, what’s going on why is he doing this. Rufio is gone, not even in the furthest reaches of his mind. But the other voice is dominating all his thoughts. All he can hear is its screaming at him. While he writes out letters that he shouldn’t be writing in the first place, that voice is screaming at him.

>I GOT TO STOP PLAYING GAMES FER GIRLS

What?

>YER ON YOUR OWN RUNT

No, no, no his mind can’t be empty of the voices, thoughts will take over. Come back, Tavros pleads, come back oh god please I can’t deal with her on my own oh god. His finger pausing makes him look down, read the words written in blood. (Oh, now you want to kiss me???????? Little l8 don’t you think.) He’s shaking but moving to write letters much bigger in scale comparison to the others. But the words are simpler and so is the message. (Save your 8reath, Page. I 8n’t dead just yet.) And of course she isn’t, because it’s Vriska. She wouldn’t just leave him or anything for that matter. (8esides........ there’s plenty of time for that l8r.) Vriska..

There’s a sloppy smile drawn next to the last few words and he cannot stand this. She just needs to wake up and laugh at him for how stupid he is. He is simple, oh so simple and why isn’t she waking up. There’s a rock nearby and he feels her force him to go there and scrawl more words across it too. (Pick me up. Need to get somewhere fast. Are you ready to flyyyyyyyy, Pupa?) And of his own will, Tavros picks her up and drags them both to the rocket. He leans her on the side while climbing in. When everything is situated, mostly just Vriska secured so she won’t fall, he flies toward the gate that’s not too far away.

But he feels her trying to steer him somewhere else. There’s a strange shape on a mountain just near the gate. So Tavros follows this, shooting down the entrance that is on top of the whole structure. The area inside is bright but it doesn’t hurt. He drops her onto the strange stone circle with the light symbol because some feeling (her) tells him to. He doesn’t like the controlling she’s doing because now? Now he’s equipped his lance. It’s making him queasy. He wants to save her, not kill her. Why doesn’t she understand?

(I won’t make you do it.) Yes, yes she will, he thinks. She’s forcing me to equip my weapon and she still has complete control. What does she want? Why? (This is up to you. Here’s your chance!) What? Vriska, what are you doing? Tavros is quivering as he continues to write. (8ut do it fast, ok? Please don’t make me 8leed to death slowly.) He wishes Rufio was here to tell him it was ok to kill her. It’s what she wants, after all. Maybe even the screaming voice. That would be better than nothing. He doesn’t have any confidence to do it. It scares him. He doesn’t want to kill the girl he pities. Somewhere, he hears a distant, strange voice. But the words are not meant for him. They are for her and her only. (NO!!!!!!!! This is his decision. I know he can do it.) Vriska, he thinks, I’m so sorry. I can’t do this don’t put your faith in me, god please don’t. (TAVROS, HURRY UP!)

Tavros takes all the confidence he’s ever had to drag himself to her body. He takes it all to lay his hand on her arm. And he takes it all to not scream when the next words appear on her face. (KILL ME) But he loses it, screaming, when the backwards words read to him. (K8LL M8) She’s angry now. No, no, he can’t do this. But as he screams and practically sobs, that distant voice is there again. With its words spinning around, the ones he can’t understand. He can’t even decipher the next of what he writes, it’s too fast and it is running into her pool of blood. All he knows is that she is screaming at him in the motions.

>Take her out.

Tavros freezes. He literally stops everything he is doing. The voice is back. But it’s not the angry, screaming one from before. It’s much calmer and held together. It’s just there. Telling him what to do. He has to do it. The confidence the coolness of this voice gives him enough, at the least. But he’s shaking, staring at his own tears (what?) and hers. This is wrong. So, so wrong, and he can’t do it, he can’t!

>Finish her.  
>Whatcha waiting for?

Tavros shakes. He can’t. No matter what this voice says. He can’t. He. Just. Can’t.

>What are you.  
>Some kind of wimp?

Tavros brings his hands to his head and starts sobbing even louder. The tears stain his cheeks but it’s not use to stop them. This voice isn’t any better. It isn’t loud or angry but it still hurts to listen to. He’s not going to kill her. He won’t do it. He won’t. And then.. then he doesn’t. He climbs into the rocket. He flies out and he leaves her. The rocket is automatic, just so he can press his hands into his face and sob harder. She’s dead, he couldn’t do and now she’s going to hate him.

\--

They’ve made a whole new world. A new Earth, an idea suggested by John to Karkat when the Alpha kids decided to share their victory with the remaining trolls and Beta Kids. It was supposed to filter between the two races. An Earth that was shared by Trolls and Humans. But Karkat refused. He didn’t want the Trolls to continue the way they had lived. Any of them were too violent, no matter what. Through various scrapped ideas, the kids managed to figure out a way to create the new world while simultaneously changing the Trolls’ DNA around to become human. One more additional idea, thrown out by Jade and backed up by Jane, brought the other Trolls back in enough time to bring them to the new world.

It’s perfect. Tavros Nitram (it’s Travis, Travis Nitram) wakes up every day to Dave Strider and Jade Harley getting around for the day. The humans are a tad older than the trolls-turned-human, but none of them question it. Everyone is happy together, though a few of them are scattered throughout. The Beta and Alpha kids are still looking for a few of the original trolls.

Travis sits up and stretches. Jade is curled up in a chair at the table, coffee in one hand and a newspaper in the other. Dave is already gone. She barely glances up as Travis travels through the apartment, gathering his things. “Uh, Jade, um, I’m going to leave now, I’ll.. be back after classes,” Travis still has trouble talking. He has to get working on that.

She grants him a smile and a quick look up from the newspaper before he leaves. It’s a normal process. And today should be like any other. But… he feels like it’s a different routine today. It is strange but as he goes into the local coffee shop to grab some grub before class, he spots it. Her.

“Anyway, Travis, I was thinking, are you free… Fri.. day? What are you looking at?” The barista peers around his shoulder. He’s staring straight at a group of girls. One in specific, her dark hair shines in the bright lights of the shop as she laughs at one of the other’s comments. She has sparkling blue eyes that twin- Ugh, he’s doing it again. Stop it, stop it, stop it. Travis takes a breath. “Travis?”

“Uh..? Oh! Thanks, sorry, I spaced, um, out… I’ll see you tomorrow!” He picked up the cup and then scooted slowly toward the group. Was it Vriska? It had to be, she just.. was. Well, no, she wasn’t Vriska, but she the human one. He didn’t know what name she’d chosen for herself here.

“Victoria! You almost forgot your book,” a man jogged toward her. Travis recognized him almost instantly. John Egbert, the human that had helped create this new Earth and its people. Vriska (Victoria? Victoria.) turns her head and a smile breaks out. She accepts the book while John awkwardly smiles at the other girls. “Well, I have to go! Karl and I are going to a day-time movie with Jake. Good luck in all your new classes!”

As he’s leaving, Victoria shouts after him. “You don’t have to wish me luck, silly! I have it all, remember?” And she’s gone back to laughing with the girls, her books balanced on her arm. Travis swallows the fear rising from his stomach. The confidence that he’s gained in the last few human years of his life might have helped a little. He steps up to the edge of the table, where no chair blocks it off. A few of the girls turn to stare at him. It takes a few moments for Victoria to turn her head. And she stares. (We make a pretty good team. The Thief and the Page!)

“Uh, hi, um, Vic.. Victoria,” he starts and then waits. For a reaction, she has to know it’s him. She has to. The girl he pitied can’t have forgotten him. He believes it to be almost impossible.

“..I’ll,” she’s addressing the other girls. “I’ll be back.”

He follows her outside the shop. She stares at him and stares at all of him, like she’s trying to read his mind. But she can’t. She can’t do anything anymore like that. “.. Tav?”

“It’s, uh, it’s Travis,” but you can call me Tav if you want. She says oh, so quietly that he can barely hear her. “Um, I thought I’d never see you again.”

The look on her face is surprise. And something… else. Not fear, but she looks scared. He doesn’t really understand that look. It shouldn’t exist. But before he can do much else before she practically tackles him in a strange hug. She’s crying. Vriska is crying. She’s mumbling things into his shirt while she sobs wetness into one of his favorite shirts. But that doesn’t matter. Because he most definitely heard ‘I’m sorry’.

>Kiss that girl already, you wimp.

He does. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: erifef meeting in the dream bubbles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i havent written anything in a while so i just asked for some prompts on tumblr and my lovely girlfriend gave me one

Eridan tugs a hand through his hair as he walked. Well. He could walk through his bubble for as long as he wanted, through every memory that his mind could conjure up. And he’d find himself in the exact same place in the Furthest Ring. 

Instead, the bubble jolts along with each of his steps. A trick taught to him by some other bubble-dweller, that he didn’t care enough to remember.

 

It was a matter of bringing up the right memories at the right time. He weren’t spectacular at it. Missed many opportunities to talk to his… friends, because he didn’t connect the right memory. On occasion, however, he did it just in time. There was also a sound that seemed to resound in his mind itself when another bubble intersected with his. If that happened, he was wandering into someone’s memory of _him_. It was easier to connect into the memory that way. 

This memory was drastically familiar. Sure, every one he had run into usually was. But this… in fact, this particular bubble seemed to resonate with a feeling he couldn’t quite explain. Like not only was he pulled to it, but the whole of everything in the Furthest Ring was drawn to surround it. Eridan glanced down behind him, as his memory of his land melted into sand. Beyond that, he could make out the mass bodies of Horrorterrors. More than he’d seen, even on Derse. The memory and its owner, however, was not clear to him. 

He’d met plenty of the others on the beach.

Realization comes late, as he’s pacing in confusion over the beach and near the sea. It licks at his shoes. He stopped. A webbed hand darts out, circling his ankle and dragging him quickly into the water. (Webbed hands reminds him of adolescence, when a seadweller would still have these.) Water has not surrounded him in ages and it takes a moment for his gills to switch over to the feeling. Suffocates him for a mere moment. That’s just enough for the other to get the upper hand.

He remembers now, as his scarf sinks him. 

Eridan is full aware he has to play his part until she realizes that this is a mere memory. 

“What the fuck?!” He screeches as he wrestles his scarf off, opening his eyes to look at her. It’s how he remembers his first meeting with her. Not exactly, because she’s sweeps older and her eyes are blank.

He doesn’t look at her torso, he won’t. 

But she’s beautiful. Her hair surrounds her like the Horrorterrors surround her bubble and  _he should have known._ Her hands are curled around the first strife weapon she had, a simple trident (not like the 2x3dent she and he found a sweep later). 

“I’m sorry,” she pleaded and he could hear the regret in her tone. He knew. He desired to reach out and tell her, he understood, he was here for her, always. But he follows the act of the memory, forcing himself to pull out his gun.

Her eyes go to it. Fear spilled into her face. Her voice grew louder, along with her grip tightening on her trident.

“I have to feed her! You don’t understand, I’m sorry!” He knew what she was going to do next, as she lunged at him. But he couldn’t move out of the way, even with the knowledge. 

They tumbled through the water. Eridan was stronger than her, it was easy to force her arms behind her back and loosen the trident from her hands at the same time. It floated near, but out of her now disabled reach.

“Well you sure as hell ain’t killin’ me,” he threatened her, but it made him feel sick to his stomach. 

She kicked him right in his stomach, managing to make him let go so she could float out of his relative reach. Tears had already started flowing. Tyrian purple spilled and colored the water, to which his own eyes followed.

“You’re,” he started but broke off. She glanced up before hastily trying to  rub away her tears.

There was an unnatural pause then. 

At this point, she was supposed to shake her head and swim forward to retrieve her trident. But rather, she cocked her head in confusion.

“I’ve… had this conversation before! This has happened before!” Her eyes widened, mouth turning into a ‘o’. Eridan gave a small nod.

“But I’m not… we’re not three sweeps!” Her appearance didn’t change, but the water around them swirled into her hive. The confusion on her face didn’t disappear. “We’re not supposed to be here either!” She was becoming angry and he wanted to help her, but she was already figuring it out on her own. The hive crept slowly from its appearance to the colder colors of the lab. She sat down on the horn pile.

“Eridan,” her words came quietly and he looked to her. Feferi sat there, staring at the ground with her hands touching her chest. 

“Yeah,” he said but it wasn’t really in response to his name. His own hands went to his abdomen for a brief moment before he shook his head.

Feferi stood up, until she had parked herself right in front of him. “I remember,” she stated. “I remember the fight, I remember dying, I remember making these bubbles,” at those words she spreads her arms out. “And I remember waiting for you to show up.”

He opened his mouth to say something, but he never got his words out. Her fist slammed into the side of his face and then an uppercut from her that sent him crippling over. “You fucking basshole! How could you do that? I thought you loved me! Everything was going to be fine, we were going to make it, we were going to…”

She trailed off, bursting into tears and shoving at him again. Eridan stood up cautiously, but when she made no more moves to shove or punch him, he stood all the way up. 

“I’m sorry,” he finally said. She wiped furiously at her eyes before looking at him.

“I know you are. I just don’t know how you expect me to forgive you.”

“I don’t, so. You know. I know I fucked up, Fef, I’m well aware. I’ve had plenty of reminders before I finally ran into you. You know how many yous there are out there? How many versions screamed at me like this? And how many didn’t?” He let out a breath, pressing hands to his face.

“It was more painful to see you smile at me and hug me, because in some places I didn’t… do this. At least I could deal with the fact that I’d done what I’d done.”

He was unprepared for her to wrap her arms around him and pick him up in a hug. It left him staggering when she set him back down.

“… You’ve been my friend for too many sweeps, and my moirail for most of them, for me to blatantly hate you, Eridan. I’m not happy with you, I am reel-y not, but. You’re the first of our actual group that I’ve seen!”

Another quiet pause as he stared at the ground. Something cool ran down his face, to which he raised a hand to touch in confusion. Oh. He was crying.

“Stay with me! You have to. I  _need_  you to. You will won’t you?” Eridan glanced up to stare at her. Her eyes pleaded with him.

“A course, I will. I’m here for you,” he rubbed at his eyes like she had earlier. “Always.”


End file.
